It remains to be seen if Arsenal will see fit to revive their interest in Evans, but the Mirror suggest that Allardyce is keen to bring the centre-back to Everton, provided he is still in charge on Merseyside.

Everton have signed two centre-halves this season in the form of Michael Keane and Eliaquim Mangala, who could miss the rest of the campaign with a knee problem, but they may be inclined to delve into the transfer market for another option to bolster the heart of their unconvincing backline.

Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams are both in the last knockings of their respective careers, while Mangala is expected to move back to parent club Manchester City when his ill-fated loan spell comes to an end. Evans, a good age for a centre-back at 30, would be a substantial and cut-price upgrade on the aforementioned trio, and his services are also of interest to West Ham and Leicester.

David Moyes' side are in need of a new defender after Jose Fonte left for China earlier this month, while Leicester have been monitoring Evans for quite some time.